By Amaranth Sportline —Sports Amplified
The 24-20 victory over Florida in Jacksonville was another chapter in the story of the 2025 Bulldogs: a team that refuses to be beaten, thriving on late-game Grit even when their play is far from perfect. A rewatch of the Week 10 rivalry game reveals three defining elements that stood out—one related to the quarterback’s mental development, one concerning the defense’s persistent issue, and a final one showing the power of the offensive line.
1. Gunner Stockton’s Mental Maturity is Game-Defining
While the stat line (223 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT) showed some inconsistency, the rewatch highlighted quarterback Gunner Stockton’s massive growth in high-leverage situations, particularly his mental processing on the game-winning drive.
The Audible that Won the Game: With Georgia trailing 20-17 in the fourth quarter, the offense faced a moment of truth. On the crucial possession that led to Chauncey Bowens’ 36-yard touchdown run, Stockton showed the elite pre-snap recognition that coaches crave. Florida’s defense was showing a run-blitz look designed to shut down the initially called play. Stockton recognized the pressure and checked the play at the line of scrimmage, changing the run call to exploit the defensive alignment. This savvy decision was praised by Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator James Coley, proving that Stockton is now winning with his mind, not just his arm.
The Goal-Line Correction: The rewatch confirmed a vital lesson learned from the Auburn game earlier in the season. On Georgia’s final offensive possession, Stockton converted a third down and could have easily run into the end zone for a touchdown. Instead, he made the disciplined choice to slide down short of the goal line. This allowed the Bulldogs to kneel the clock out and secure the 24-20 victory, demonstrating a commitment to securing the win above padding the score—a true sign of maturity and coaching integration. 2. The Pass Rush Problem Persists
The most glaring and potentially crippling deficiency on the rewatch was the Georgia defense’s inability to consistently generate pressure on the Florida quarterback.
The Zero-Sack Game: For the fifth time in six SEC games, the Georgia defense failed to record more than one sack, posting zero sacks against the Gators. This is highly uncharacteristic for a Kirby Smart-coached unit and places immense stress on the secondary. The Domino Effect: The lack of immediate pressure allowed Florida’s quarterback to hold the ball longer, forcing Georgia’s excellent defensive backs (like Demello Jones before his injury and Ellis Robinson) to cover for extended periods. While the secondary held up well for the most part, the issue is structural: if the defensive line can’t win quickly, the defense is forced into complex blitzes or coverage schemes that can lead to big plays, which nearly cost them the game. This weakness is now amplified by the indefinite loss of disruptive defensive tackle Jordan Hall. 3. The Running Back Depth and OL Execution Secured the Win
While the passing game was hot and cold, the Glory of Georgia’s offensive line and the next-man-up mentality at running back provided the decisive edge.
Chauncey Bowens’ Emergence: Redshirt freshman Chauncey Bowens looked like the most physical and powerful back on the field, particularly in the fourth quarter. His 36-yard, game-winning touchdown run was a superb display of vision, acceleration, and power, running through arm tackles after Stockton’s successful pre-snap check. Bowens finished with a team-high 70 yards on just nine carries. Final Drive Dominance: After the defense forced the turnover on downs late in the fourth, the Georgia offense needed two first downs to ice the clock. The final drive was a clinic in Grit and physicality, run almost entirely behind the offensive line. The unit imposed its will, leaning on Bowens and Nate Frazier to methodically move the ball, leaving no doubt that Georgia controls the line of scrimmage when the game is on the line.
The rewatch confirms that this Georgia team is not defined by perfection, but by its Grit—the ability to make necessary adjustments and execute the winning plays in the final minutes, a trait that will be essential for the remainder of their championship pursuit.
